Wire and pick holder for florists



June 17, 1930. 1

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Jan. 5, 192 9 gwuzntoz hat:

Jung I7 1930. G. F. RHEA 1,763,986

WIRE AND PICK HOLDER FOR FLORISTS Filed Jan. 5, 1929 2 Sligets-Sheet 2 'llnlnllllu Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES GEORGE E. RHEA, OF GREENEVILLE, TENNESSEE WIRE AND PICKVHOLDER FOR FLORISTS Application filed January 5, 1929.

This invention relates to devices for holding the wires and picks used by florists in making up floral designs such as funeral wreaths and the like. i

The general object of the invention is to provide a wire holder of this character which is convenient, whichis relatively light and which is capable of holding wires of various lengths and wired picks or wooden pins.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character having compartments for the Wires, each compartment being for wires of a certain length and having spring holders within which a bunch of picks may be placed and held conveniently for the florist and from which the picks may be withdrawn one by one as they are desired to be usedand in this connection to provide a construction of such character that no picks will be lost, that is, droppedfrom the machine as the picks are withdrawntherefrom. Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of a wire and pick holder constructed in accordance with my invention; v

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the completed structure;

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Referring to these drawings, 10 designates a base formed in the shape of a pan and having upstanding sides. Ihis is made of sheet metal and disposed in the bottom of the pan is preferably a plate of heavier metal 11 which is riveted to the pan. Mounted upon this plat-e by soldering, riveting or otherwise is a preferably sheet metal. casing 12 divided by one or more partitions 13 into any desired number of compartments. These compartments are open at the top. Projecting radially outward from the rounded outer face of the casing 12 are the walls'of vertical compartments 14 which are open at the top and Serial No. 330,685.

extend down to the base. There may be any number of these compartments and each compartment is designed to contain. a diiferent length of wire such as is used by florists. Each compartment will preferably have upon its face a card holder 15 within which a card indicating the number of the wire, that is, the length thereof will be placed in that compartment.

Each compartment will have a difierent effective length which may be secured by filling .the lower end of the compartment with difpaper or other filling ferent thicknesses of material.

Attached to the front walls of the compartments 14 by riveting or otherwise is a strap 16 and attached adjacent their upper ends to this strap are the brackets 17' of relatively heavyiron, the lower ends of these brackets being flanged at 18 and riveted to the base while the upper ends ofthe brackets are bent forward and downward slightly above the strap 16 as at 19. Mounted upon the angular ends 19 are receptacles 20 for picks, these receptaclescbeing formed of sheet metal and as illustrated in Figure 5 having a flat bottom, and upwardly extending sides which, at a certain distance above the bottom, flare out wardly as at 21. These flared portions are preferably rounded as to their edges and the pick holder 20 is open at its opposite ends and is carried in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position. A rubber pad 22 is preferably disposed along the bottom of the pick holder.

Associated with each pick holder is a spring clamp forn'ied as follows :A.ttached to the front of the casing 12 just above the upper ends of the compartments 14 is a pintle- 23 and mounted upon this pintle are a plurality of clamping arms 24 which extend upward and radially outward in a slight bow and at their forward ends are extended downward and engage against the pad 22 in the bottom of the correspondingholder. The lower end of each arm is transversely recessed to receive a rubber pad 25. Each armis resiliently urged downward by a spring 26. g

This spring at its lowerend is operatively connected to the base, as forinstance, by the Wire 27 Which soldered to the base and at its upper end, each spring is operatively con- 7 nectedto a loop-like yoke 28 which extends "upWard' just forward of the bracket 17 and holder and at its upper end extends over the arm Q l'and is engaged therewith by means oi a bead 29. Thuseach clamping arm is urged downward toward the bottoni of the bottom holder 20 is designed to contain picks of different lengths, some smaller "and some larger and each pick'as usual is of wood with a length of Wire attached to the butt end thereof. Some ofthese picks aresixinches long andjother picks decreasein size from this na-Ximum length. There are four different sizes-of picks ordinarily used and six difillustrated. compartments 15m six different lengths of Wires, audit 1S l10 be understood formed for six'dil'lerent lengthsof wires.

'- ,Inthe' useot thls dev ce,theholdersQO are the compartments 14 the compartments in the casing 12 are filled with the appropriate lengths of wire. Then as the florist needs the picks or wires, he Withdraws them from the holders or compartments. The clampin-g action of the member 9A is such that the picks are held firmly in place and yet may .bereadily Withdrawn from time to time as Other pick holdersknoWn to me and :used.

toia slight. extent by flames are impractical out ofthe device, other picks are, liable togdrop out also and be lost on the door and thus there is; a relatively great Waste oigpicks. My holder holds i 'ouris izes of. picks commonly usedfbyfiorists. The pickholder; ab'olvev'referredito, holds two sizes of picks and. grips the; ires attachedto th'e picks by metal jaws whereaswith my device, the rubberpadQQ and the rubber padat the lower end. of the themselves yery lt irinly and yet permits" the ready withdr malot theaviresfrom the p cks V Anotheradvantage ofany construction is that'lw is relat vely-l ght and thus can be niox lfilllOutGZlSllY, ,.F;u rth ermoremydevice is connpact andtakes'up but little room.

I -,-The metalpan-constituting the ofthe device is particularly useful for holding pliers, ire snipe;thread andi,spooledf While have .illustrated co i which. I; haye found to be particularly useful.

-' for thepurposeintended, .do not Wish to be l m ted thereto, as,lt'is-obv ousthat'the-de- 7 1 1fitfieei iq 13W .eh n e orm embraces the rear end of the corresponding of the holder by means of a spring and thus 7, acts to clamp picks Within theholder: Each ferent sizes of ire commonly used. I have that preferably six compartments will bev V y p pivoted atats rear end,

filled with the nppropriate sized picks and p 'lng' upjwardfromthejbaseand' and designedito contain l'vy ir (lengths and pick holders, mounted upon the vreceptacles,and including an approxiinately horizontal element extending outward from the user wishes-them. Without any chance .of

for the. reason thatiyhen, one pick is pulled I jawZ l grips these Wires or the wooden picks Without departing from the spirit of the in- Vention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A holder for florists picks and Wire comprising a base, vertical Wire receptacles at different depths extending upward from the baseland open at the'top and designedto contain Wire of diti erentlengths anid pick holders' inountedupon the receptacles andincluding anelement having laterally flaring sides to receive' the;picks,.aml a resiliently actu= ated clamp associated with the element and yiel'dingly urged toward the bottom thereof.

2. A holder for florists picks and, Wire comprising a base, wire receptacles extendingupwardfrom the,;base, and ,open from y the top and designed to contain, wire of 'different lengths and .pick holders mounted upon the receptacles and includingfanl element having laterally flaring sides to receiye' the picks, a, resiliently actuated pimp assoe "ed with the element an clyi'eldi-nglyu 'ed ard the botton' thereof, saidclan ip 'eing 3. "A {holder for iflorists picks and yire coinprlsingi a base, w refreceptacles I extend- -the wire receptacles and haying laterallyfiarcea e A holder forflorists picksand ivireicom:

ga plurality ally disposed re- 1 at the top and a plurality of pick mounted uponandprojectingiirom s l; l re- "cept'acles, each "of said being, founed to prov de an] app-ronlmately I "channel-shaped element extending away from the receptacles and hayinggfia ringf side Walls and open at front and rean an d a'clamp assoc ated With 'each-} holder, each fclamp being hingedly mounted upon sa d receptaoles' and having its fo'rw 'ard end ezgtended downward int saijd holder, an'da sprlngjurgthe clan 'fi downward; toward the bottom .oftheholder, Y Y

fconiprisingia plurality .offver ti'cally idisp sed' j receptaclesconnected to each: other and open at; top and-apluralityof pick holdersmounh pe e P oj from sa di' c pta'cle each ofsaid holders being 'for ned toiproiiile ia c ls and'ojpen'at front ant rear asid hannel-sh aped eigmentjhaving flarin s sh {3 9 5 3 T r sociatd iorizoiital r 'cep L es conncctedto f achjotherfand "open l elders llu tacles and having its forward end extended downward into said holder, and a spring urging the clamp downward toward the bottom of the holder, said spring being connected at one end to the base, and a yoke engaging over the clamp and engaged with said spring.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a pan-shaped base, a plurality of connected vertically disposed wire receptaclcs mounted upon the base and upstanding therefrom and open at the top, each receptacle being designed to contain wires of different lengths, certain of the receptacles extending above certain of the other receptacles, a plurality of brackets mounted upon the base and upon the front walls of the receptacles, the brackets being inclined downwardly and forwardly, pick holders mounted upon said brackets, each holder being channel-shaped and having outwardly and up wardly inclined walls and being open at its ends, and clamps associated with each holder, each clamp comprising a clamping arm pivotally mounted at its rear end upon a wall of one of said receptacles and extending forward and then downward into the holder and contractile springs attached to the base and operatively engaging said arms and urging the arms downward.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a pan-shaped base, a casing extending upward from the base and divided,

into receptacles open at the top, a plurality of radially disposed receptacles mounted upon the pan and disposed against the front wall of the casing but being less in height than the said front wall of the casing, all of said receptacles being adapted to contain different lengths of fiorists wire, a plurality of brackets mounted between said radially projecting receptacles and extending out ward and downward therefrom, a plurality of pick holders mounted upon said brackets, each pick holder being channel-shaped and having upwardly and laterally flaring walls and being open at its ends, and clamping arms hingedly mounted upon the front Wall of the casing and extending forward and downward into the corresponding holder, and contractile springs urging said arms downward toward the bottom of the holder.

8. A holder for florists picks including an approximately horizontal element having laterally flaring sides to receive the picks and a yieldable bottom pad and a resiliently actuated clamp associated with the element and yicldingly urged toward the bottom thereof, said clamp being transversely recessed.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

GEORGE F. RHEA. 

